The Outer Banks, North Carolina
Poor Route 12. It valiantly tries to connect these barrier islands through numerous storms. And it occasionally succeeds. Uploaded by outerbanks.org.
Just a ribbon of land off the coast of North Carolina, the Outer Banks are a national treasure. Sometimes so narrow that you can throw a rock from the sound to the Atlantic, the Banks are fragile, easily damaged by nor’easters, and a target for hurricanes. But they are also lightly developed, dotted with lighthouses, and some of the most beautiful beaches in the country.
Uploaded by nismostuff.blogspot.com.
What we call the Outer Banks are actually a string of peninsulas and barrier islands. While the banks actually continue to Virginia, developed regions begin at Corolla in the north and continue along Route 12 almost 120 miles to Ocracoke. These are family beaches, uncrowded and wide. While the Nags Head to Kill Devil Hills section has undergone some “beachy” development, it’s not hard to find the quiet and solitude this area is justifiably famous for – especially on Hatteras Island and Ocracoke Island.
Dr. Beach includes these beaches among his 10 best almost every year, and you have to hand it to the man. He knows a thing or two about beaches. If you’re tired of being squeezed on the sand like sardines, if you don’t need boardwalks and amusement parks, if you value unspoiled beauty, then the “OBX” may be just the place for you. It’s not easy to get to – but that’s half the point, isn’t it?